World War II Honoree

Roderick Red Elk

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Comanche County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ONE OF THE LEGENDARY COMANCHE CODE TALKERS FOR THE ARMY DURING WORLD WAR II. ENLISTED IN THE ARMY IN RESPONSE TO THE NATION’S CALL FOR CODE TALKERS FOR THE WAR EFFORT. ONE OF 17 COMANCHE INDIANS SELECTED TO PERFORM SPECIAL DUTIES USING THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE AS A CODE TO PREVENT ENEMY FORCES FROM INTERCEPTING VITAL COMBAT COMMUNICATIONS. ASSIGNED TO THE 4TH SIGNAL COMPANY, 4TH (MOTORIZED) INFANTRY ‘IVY’ DIVISION AT FORT BENNING AT COLUMBUS, GEORGIA. THERE HE RECEIVED TRAINING IN MORSE CODE AND OTHER STANDARD ARMY COMMUNICATIONS TECHNIQUES AND HELPED DEVELOP THE UNIQUE COMANCHE CODE. PARTICIPATED WITH HIS DIVISION IN THE IV CORPS LOUISIANA MANEUVERS AND 1ST ARMY CAROLINA MANEUVERS IN 1941. STATIONED AT CAMP GORDON AT AUGUSTA, GEORGIA AND WENT TO THE CAROLINA MANEUVER AREA FOR TRAINING IN 1942. MOVED TO FORT DIX AT WRIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY WITH HIS UNIT AND TRAINED AT CAMP GORDON JOHNSON, FLORIDA DURING THE III CORPS CARRABELLE MANEUVERS IN 1943. RELOCATED TO FORT JACKSON AT COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA IN DECEMBER 1943 AND STAGED AT CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY IN JANUARY 1944 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON JANUARY 18, 1944 AND ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON JANUARY 26, 1944. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER. PARTICIPATED IN THE NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. TOOK PART IN THE ASSAULT LANDING AT UTAH BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE WITH THE 4TH DIVISION ON JUNE 6, 1944 (D-DAY) AS PART OF THE INVASION FORCE OF 'OPERATION OVERLORD'. HIS DIVISION ALSO FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF THE HURTGEN FOREST AND THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE ARROWHEAD DEVICE, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE BELGIAN FOURRAGERE FOR HIS DIVISION BEING CITED TWICE IN THE ORDER OF THE DAY OF THE BELGIAN ARMY FOR ACTIONS IN BELGIUM AND AGAIN IN THE ARDENNES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. CONTINUED IN U.S. ARMY SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. IN 1989, THE FRENCH CONSUL NAMED HIM A KNIGHT OF THE NATIONAL ORDER OF MERIT AND AWARDED HIM THE CHEVALIER DE L’ORDRE NATIONAL DU MERIT IN RECOGNITION OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EUROPEAN WAR EFFORT.